Obbligato Dissonance
by CherubKatan
Summary: It had been two years since Ken had last seen his lover. Now after so long of no communication he shows up unexpectantly in hopes of aid. Will Ken be willing forgive him or is it just a fools hope that he goes by? (Chapter 2 available)
1. Prologue: The Stony Depths

            I don't own Weiss Kreuz… I do own a 7 year old CD player boom box that is still in pretty good condition… a DVD player… some anime movies and a couple of idea's for stories… but that's about it…Oh yeah and I somewhat own a 2003 Hyundai Elantra GLS but only somewhat since I'm still making payments on it ^_^

Author's notes: _Italics _are any form of thought in the story.

Obbligato Dissonance

Prologue: The Stony depths

            "Damn it! Why did you have to leave me?" The sound of something crashing against fragile glass resounded through out the tiny apartment where one lone man stood. Fresh tears made their way down the old path of dried ones leaving a moist trail in their wake. _Two years damn you,_ the man cried out in his mind. _It's been two fucking years and not a word from you. You promised me that you'd write… contact me… something! What have I to show for it? … Nothing… nothing but empty words and broken promises, I have nothing._

            He stared into the broke mirror. The shards of glass reflect a gruesome image of his being. He, like the mirror, was a shattered man; torn from his emotions of love on that cruel day his lover had left him. He had nothing more to show from it except his tousled hair and shadowed eyes. Eyes that were once filled with warmth and joy now were clouded over in pain and anger. Sometimes those self same eyes were unemotional, cold hinting on barely little life within them.

            Sleep eluded him half of the time and when he did find peace within his dreams it would be wrenched away from him and the pleasant slumber would turn into a dreadful nightmare, filled with the deaths of those he loved dearly. Though those dreams were normal for him, he was a killer after all. He was forced to kill a friend whom he loved like a brother, though that brother, he had found out, betrayed him, but to be lied to by someone whom he was willing to share his life with as his lover did to him, was unbearable, to the point of no one else could help him.

            Something warm and wet trickled down across his hands. He thought that it was just tears that had splashed down on his ruddy brown hands and moved to wipe it away. 

            _Thick… almost like…_ his mind stopped him from saying the word and he looked down.

            Blood… Crimson red blood covered his knuckles. _When did this happen?_ He asked himself.

            It took him a few minutes to realize that it was from punching the mirror before him. He looked into the mirror again. "Even after all this time of you not being here, I'm still causing myself pain…" he sneered at the broken mirror.

            A multitude of deep brown eyes flashed in cynicism at him. He would have been appalled at the sight of him thus so but, he stopped caring so long ago.

            Through the years, the change in his attitude came about slowly, but could still be seen by his friends. It appalled them that, so rapidly a once cheerful man could plummet in a downward spiral of emotion just by one man. Oh yes, they knew of his relationship with him. They actually encouraged it at the time and when he was left alone, all of them left alone, they felt anger towards him. 

            They all had their own ways of dealing with it though; the youngest of them all immersed himself in his studies, while the oldest yet of them ended up almost drinking himself to nothing. They still contained their semi decent out look on life, but not their friend.

            There was a knock on the door. "Ken-kun, is everything alright in there?" A soft voice called through the heavy wooden door.

            Ken stopped sneering at the fragmented glass long enough to glanced over at the entrance to his room. "I'm fine, Omi." He said lightly in hopes that the younger boy would leave quickly. It didn't work though.

            "Ken-kun, I heard a crash. Are you sure everything's ok?" Omi's voice called out, louder this time.

            "I'm sure everything's alright Omi just go away!" Ken almost snarled out but stopped himself before he could hurt his younger friend's feelings. He wasn't the cause of Ken's problem so the nineteen year old had no right to take it out on someone who was just curious on if he was all right. "I'm fine, I'll be down in a minute to help open the Koneko." He said in a more pleasant tone.

            After he had said that, he heard the shuffling of feet moving away from his door. He let out a sigh of relief. _Good, Omi's not going to bother me anymore today._ _That is, I hope he's not._

            Ken gave a half smile. The youngest of their team was always such a worrywart, with his three; no make it two friends. It was almost as if he were a little mother hen, always fussing about the welfare of Yohji and he. It never would have bothered the brunet in the past, but since he had left two years ago, Ken now found the young assassin to grate on his nerves.

            Ken shook his head. _I'm wasting time; I need to go open the shop in a few minutes._ Ken quickly got dressed and wrapped his hand up in a small bandage. _The girls are going to fuss over this,_ he thought to himself as he walked down the stairs to the kitchen._ Then again, they always fuss over every little thing wrong with any of us._ He made a quick meal, and then walked into the flower shop that was connected to their tiny apartment. _They're so damn annoying._ He began to go through the motions of opening the shop.

            Soon enough time had passed, and the little flower shop was swelling with customers.

            Ken gazed around. As sure as, the sun did shine; it was filled with nothing but schoolgirls. All of them bouncing around, eagerly waiting to catch the attention of one of the three men working there.

            It almost made the young man sick to look at them. Their happiness never failing, like a sick joke the gods decided to play on him, but he could do nothing about it, except for putting on his old mask of cheerfulness. A cheerfulness that never reached his eyes, but the young girls didn't care, as long as their "Ken-kun" smiled at them, they were happy. 

~~

            On the other side of town, three men walked the streets. They were all tall and of a lithe figure. Their faces were so smooth that they could almost be considered women. Two of them had long flowing blond hair, partially held back in a braid, while the third was of the contrast. His hair was of a vibrant ruby hue that was cut short with two wisps framing his face along the ears.

            What was strange about the three men was they wore hooded cloaks about them of a deep forest green color, causing people to stare at them not only for their beauty but also for their strangeness. 

            "Milord," One of the men spoke softly to the red head. "I don't see why we've come to this world. You're parents will be upset when they've found out you came here against their will."

            "We need help." The man who was their leader replied. "I know of someone who we can go to."  _If he'll accept me back, that is_, he thought to himself as they stopped in front of their destination.

            "Ledoris, it's not wise to question his highness," the other blonde-haired person spoke up. "We are his servants after all."

            "That may as well be, but I still don't like this place." The one called Ledoris said as he looked around disdainfully. "The people here are crude and ignorant, Finis."

            "It's also the place I grew up." The crimson haired man chided his servant. "Don't speak ill of a place that you've first visited. I happen to miss this place above anywhere else."

            "Yes, milord." The man bowed partially before turning to the building. "Do you want us to come in with you?"

            "No, I'll go in. I trust them with my life." The red head said then strode inside.

Author's Notes: Erm…  I say no comment on this, I just hope everyone enjoys it… because it's not one of my usual type ones… *smiles*

Schu: I personally think it's not that bad of an idea.

Shush, no one asked you.

Schu: I think I should be asked.

Anyway, I'm sort of dead on my brain right now … so leave a review… maybe… Ja!


	2. Chapter 1: Baroque Accent

            I don't own Weiss Kreuz… I do own a 7 year old CD player boom box that is still in pretty good condition… a DVD player… some anime movies and a couple of idea's for stories… but that's about it…Oh yeah and I somewhat own a 2003 Hyundai Elantra GLS but only somewhat since I'm still making payments on it ^_^

Author's notes: _Italics _are any form of thought in the story as well as other things.

Obbligato Dissonance

Chapter 1: Baroque Accent

            Black clouds shifted aimlessly for miles, covering what land that was capable of growing anything from the bright cheerful sunlight, making everything look like a desolate wasteland. When a person stopped to consider the place, it was a wasteland. What could thrive on the land were molds of many types that clung to dead rotting trees along with the many different types of fungus, most of which were poisonous. It didn't harm any of the local wild life, since none existed around it.

            What did exist though, was a tall bleak castle. Monolithic statues of demons and gargoyles loomed about. Each one depicting its own gruesome image in attempt to scare off weary travelers who wished to lodge there for a night's refuge from the almost constant storms that besieged the dead land.

            Within the walls of the castle, candlelight flickered about casting it ghostly countenance over a lone man. Black hair fell to his waist and he was dressed in rich black silk robes. Upon his brow a golden circlet rested. His eyes were as black as night while slender fingers was richly adorned with golden rings of sapphire and ruby gems. His face was pinched in concentration and he read a report from one of his servants.

_My lord,_

_After two years of being in the palace, the prince has left. It seems that the bride his parents wish for him to marry is unacceptable to him, so he's gone missing. I do not see this to be completely as to why he has departed. The other spies within the castle agree with this and report that he has taken his two most trusted and faithful servants along with him. One spy over heard him saying something about visiting those he once knew in order to receive the best help. He departed only a day ago, but do not worry milord, I have kept an eye on him since he first left the palace .My question to you on this matter is, do you wish for me to pursue and dispose of him? I must warn you now lord that if you do not I foresee great trouble ahead in your quest to gain that which is rightfully yours. May I also remind you sire, that I did warn you to dispose of him when he was born instead of sending him to the other world, but I understand too that he, being sent into that world was not of your doing. That is all that I have to report._

_                                                            Your ever-faithful servant,_

                                                                        _Regaldis_

            The thin parchment crumpled in his hands. He was half tempted to throw the damning thing into the fire. Of all the rotten times when something such as this could happen, it had to come at this moment in time, a time in which he was about to make his true move in the game he was playing, the game of conquest.  It was bad enough that the prince had escaped death after he was first born but to leave the castle at this crucial moment. He had only been there for a little over two years.

            The lord stared into the flame of one of the many white candles littered about the place. His mind rapidly going over the situation, _it would have been better if the fools that I had sent years ago had actually done their job right and killed him instead of loosing him in that realm. The idiots, I swear if they weren't dead already, I'd have killed them for their stupidity._ He thought to himself as he pulled out a quill, ink and a clean sheet of parchment.

            He rapidly thought over his options and wrote two words down.

            _Do nothing._

            Sealing it with wax, he rang for one of the many servants roaming around the castle and sat back; reviewing mentally the plans, he had for taking over the kingdom.

~~

            Floral smells wafted around the now silent flower shop. _It's actually good to be back here._ The red haired young man thought to himself as memories from what he would almost consider happier days coursed through his mind. He looked around. _Nothing has changed in two years._

            Yohji was nowhere in sight. _He's probably out smoking or left already for some date he had planned since yesterday._ He gave a small smile at the thought. It never ceased to amaze him on how many dates the brunet could go on in a weeks time, even with all the missions they had sometimes during the course of the said week. What surprised him even more was the fact that the playboy could always remember the names of the women he went out with and never once mistook a woman for another. It was almost as if the lanky man was gifted with perfect memory. Either that or it was the fact that he was an ex pi and could always remember every little detail no matter what it was.

            The youngest of them all, Omi sat hunched over the wooden picnic table, swiftly working on an exotic floral arrangement. It was of a pattern unfamiliar to the cloaked man, standing in the room. The myriad of colors from each different flower flowed into a mesmerizing shift of patterns that was almost hypnotic in nature and was definitely a sight that anyone would be eager to see upon it's finish.

            Finally, the man turned to look for the one he longed to see the most and spotted him. _Ken…_ he thought to himself as he took a hesitant step towards the soccer player.

            Ken was doing his old job; water the many plants and flowers that were sold there. His back was turned to where he couldn't see his old lover's face.

            He continued to move towards the young boy, a slow smile spreading across his thin pink lips. _Finally, after all this time, I'm near you._ He reached out and wrapped his arms around the assassin, pulling him slowly into a tight embrace. "Ken…" he whispered softly into the boy's ear. "I'm back."

~~

            Ken froze when he heard the whispered words. His mind paralyzed by what he had just heard. _He's… back…_ Ken blinked. He was back after all that time. "Ran…" Ken mouthed to himself. It felt like Ran. His embrace, even the smell was the familiar raspberry smell that seemed to linger around him, but it was hard for the nineteen year old to accept the fact that it was his lover, come back to him.

            He hesitantly turned around to see if it was just his imagination playing tricks on him, as they did so often in the past. 

            As soon as he turned around, he gazed into the eyes of the person that held him. Amethyst colored eyes, tinted with a happiness never seen before, stared back into his very own. He moved his eyes from the intense stare, just to make sure it was real. Pale skin, soft pink lips and claret hair framed an, oh so recognizable face.

            Ken reached up and ran his hand along the cheek, caressing it ever so gently. _This has to be real, dreams never feel like silk._ He thought to himself. 

            He took a step back and took in the full sight of the man he hadn't seen in two years.

            _Why's he dressed as if he's just stepped out of a medieval festival?_ Ken's mind wondered as he continued to look his old lover over.

            "Ken?" Ran asked softly, reaching out to pull the young man into his embrace once more. "Ken, I'm sorry, I've kept you waiting for so long."

            Ken snapped out of his daze and stared at the crimson haired man. _It's been a long time, eh?_ He thought to himself. The beginning edges of the familiar bitterness began to take a hold over the young man. "It's been too long, Ran." He said with a slight sneer forming over his lips. "What are you doing here? Actually, never mind, don't answer the question because I sure as hell don't want to hear it." He pushed past the cloaked man and began to head towards the back of the tiny flower shop.

            Ran blinked as surprise took over his earlier happiness over seeing his lover. He couldn't believe that Ken was acting the way he was. It was a complete contrast of the boy's normal attitude on life and towards himself. Ran had to admit, however, that he had expected some form of hostility from the young assassin, but never on such a grand scale as out right contempt. For Ran to be brushed off so coldly was in neither his personality nor mentality that it caught Ran off guard.

            Before he could reflect on it any further, Ran reached out just as Ken was walking past him and grabbed the boy's arm. The only thing he could think of doing was try to get the boy to listen to his explanation, which at this point, Ken wasn't willing to listen to. "Ken," He spoke softly. "Please just listen to what I have to say."

            "Ran, let go of me." Ken growled out slightly, trying to pull from the tight grip that Ran had on his wrist.

            "I'm just asking you to listen to me, for just a second. I can explain everything… I know you must be mad…" Ran's voice broke off as Ken stopped him from speaking.

            Ken's freed hand balled up into a fist. "I said… let go of me… or else."

            "I will if you just listen to me Ken…"

            Ken hissed and turned around. Anger blazed in his eyes as he glared at the one who wouldn't let him go. "I told you to let me go." He snarled, pulling his fist back and striking Ran in the face.

            Ran staggered backwards as soon as the punch connected to his jaw and fell back into a conveniently place display case.

            A loud crash resounded through out the modest flower shop and instantly Omi was on his feet, running over to see what had happened and why. Also to see if anyone had been hurt. "Ken-kun, are you alright?!" 

~~

            Outside the store the two servants waited, hoping that their master would soon call them in so they could explain the situation to the men he so fully trusted with his life.

            Time went by slowly as the two waited and people passed by the shop.

            As they passed by, Ledoris would grumble and glare, causing the would be shoppers to give only a quick parting glance, then run off quickly at the sight of such a aggressive man.

            "Ledoris, stop that, these mortal's may not be to your liking, but they are the ones who brought our lord up. He'll be displeased with you if he caught you like that." Finis chided him. 

            "Finis, we don't need the help of these mortals," he said as he glared at another person walking by. "They're stupid, arrogant, and are just down right disgusting."

            "But that doesn't mean we have to treat them discourteously."

            "Humph, I hope his highness finishes his business quickly so we can get out of here. Besides, his majesty will have us hanged as soon as he finds out that we have left the safety of the realm."

            Finis rolled his eyes. Ledoris' hatred of the human kind was unfounded. Even though they had had problems in the past, they were never ones on such a grand scale that would cause and uproar amongst             their nation, if one of them wandered accidentally into their kingdom.

            While they were both pondering on the bad qualities of the human race, a loud crash resonated to the outside.

            They swiftly looked at each other and cried out at the same time.

            "The lord!"

            Flinging open the door, they ran inside, quickly drew the swords they had hidden within the folds of their cloak, and soon held a brunet man and a golden haired boy at arms length.

            "I'd advise you not to move." Ledoris said, before glancing over at the fallen Ran. "My lord, are you alright?"

            Ran nodded his head and stood up.

            As he did so, the hood of his cape fell to his shoulders exposing his head fully to his old teammates.

            Long, pointed ears poked out from behind blood red ear tails, causing the two assassins to let out a startled gasp.

Author's notes: Well here's to a new chapter… I know I have other stories I have to work on, but since I'm writing chapter 6 of one and part two of a parody, it almost feels as if I'm frying my brain cells with over thinking…

Schu: *snickers* You're brain was fried well before hand.

Bite me Schuldich… Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone's who's reviewed this so far, Isachan (On media miner)

Misura- ^___^ Maaaaaybe

Schu: … Don't listen to her… there is no maybe it's obvious in this chapter that it is him *rolls his eyes*

Also thanks to Celeste1. I will say I'm actually surprised no one's wondering about the name… but *shrugs* I'm not worried about it too much. Anyway, thanks again! Ja!


	3. Chapter 2: Fortissimo Phrase

            Oh too tis, sullied flesh could melt… if I owned Weiß, but alas I don't… sighs

            Schu: … what the hell is with all this dramatic talk?

            It's because Weiß isn't mine.

            Schu: … moron… it doesn't mean you have to be melodramatic about it

            … fwaps him Anyway… I don't own it… although I'm about to kick a certain character's ass...

            Schu: … Read her story and save me…

Notes: _Italics,_ in this story represent thoughts of a certain coughs ok maybe not those types of thoughts … but thoughts nonetheless.

Chapter 2: Fortissimo Phrase

            "My Lord, are you alright?" Finis asked Ran as he held Omi aloft by the point of his sword.

            Ran ignored the question posed to him by his servant and trustworthy guard and watched Ken. His jaw aching painfully were the blow from his ex lover's punch had landed. _That's going to leave a mark,_ he thought ruefully and pulled himself into a sitting position instead of the undignified one.

            "You're highness," Ledoris spoke up trying to break Ran out of his thoughts. "Do you want us to dispose of these humans for attacking your being?"

            When the young man heard those words, he looked up and blinked. "What was that you said Ledoris?"

            "Wait a minute, Ran, you know these people!?" Ken busted out. "What the hell is going on here and why the hell are you back after all this time!"

            Omi slowly began to scoot over to the older man and laid a friendly hand on his arm. He knew how hard it was for his friend to have gone two whole years without the man he loved so much. He had lived through the spouts of anger that the soccer player would get out of nowhere from the lack of communication, which brought about the feelings of abandonment. It angered the seventeen year old as well but the reasoning behind Ran leaving in the first place was strange.

            Then again the excuse Ran had given was plausible as well, but then sometimes Ran could usually pull a plausible excuse out of nowhere.

            "Ne, Ken-kun." He began to speak softly. "Why don't we just let Ran-Kun explain everything instead of questioning him?"

            "You're damn right he's going to explain." Ken exclaimed hotly. "He'll explain or I'm going to force him to… err not too violently though." He amended quickly as the point of Ledoris' blade came within eye level of the athlete.

            Ran nodded in acceptance, "I will but Kudoh should be here as well. I don't feel like explaining things more than one time. It's too much of a hassle."

            "He's upstairs asleep, Ran-kun." Omi helpfully replied. "Would you like me to go get him?"

            "Go ahead, Omi."

            Ran glanced at his two servants. They still stood combat ready only waiting for word from their lord on what to do. "Put your swords away. They aren't enemies and they don't mean to harm me." He commanded them. "At least I hope they don't." The last was said under his breath.

            After only a few moments of waiting, everyone was soon graced with the presence of Yohji, they all headed to the mission where they sat to listen to Ran's awaited story.

            "Hmmm, where to start…" Ran mused from the only recliner in the room.

            His friends sat opposite of him all lined up on the couch. His two servants sat on the floor on both sides of him, their legs crossed.

            "Why not just start at the beginning?" Yohji yawned.

            "The question of that is which one? Ok fine, I think I know where I can begin." He took a deep breath and glanced at his three friends. "As you probably have already noticed by this time, I'm not exactly a human." He reached up and lightly played with one of his elongated ears.

            "Yes, we've noticed that." Yohji said dryly. He reached over to a table that was right next to the couch and grabbed one of his cigarettes. "So what kind of alien are you?"

            "I'm not an alien either. I'm an elf."

            Yohji doubled over in a fit of coughing when he heard the younger man announced that and quickly shot a glance over at Ken and Omi.

            Omi sat in the middle of the couch. His mouth hung open in an almost perfectly formed O shape. His eyes were bugged out from the astonishment of Ran's revelation.

            Ken's reaction on the other hand was the exact opposite. Instead of being shocked by the disclosure, it served only to increase the anger and resentment he had. The ex soccer player jumped up from his seat and paced the length of the floor for what almost seemed like an eternity before stopping. He looked squarely at the man who had left him cold two years past.

            "So, what you're trying to say is, that all the time we were together, I was being fucked by someone who wasn't even a human and never once thought to tell me until now?"

            As soon as Ken said those words, it knocked the youngest boy out of his shock.

            He blushed at this and spoke up, "Ah, Ken-kun, why don't we…"

            He couldn't finish though because Yohji interrupted him.

            "That my dear Kenken was perhaps a bit too much information. We could have lived without the carnal knowledge of you two."

            "Shut up Yohji!" Ken barked. "How would you feel if you found out that the person you were sleeping with for a year or so had lied to you all this time and told you they were the same sex, or hell better yet, you found out they were a different species entirely, perhaps of the animal variety?"

            Omi glanced evilly at the smoker beside him. "Now, Ken-kun, we're not here to talk about any of Yohji's ex girlfriends." That promptly received a glare from the said playboy. "We are here, however, to listen to Ran's story, which is what he was trying to tell us."

            Ken sat back down on the couch, "Fine finish with your rundown and remember it had better be good."

            "Lets see," Ran leaned back in the recliner. "Two years ago, I didn't even know anything about myself being an elf. I had always thought I was human, the same as the rest of you. It was a little over two years ago that something happened." He looked at each one in turn but stayed on Ken the longest. "Do you remember Ken, how out of no where I started to withdraw into myself once more?"

            Ken nodded.

            That time had been difficult for the younger man. All he tried to do to coax his lover back out seemed to fall to pieces around him. In fact, Ran's new lack of stimulation had almost sent Ken into a state of total despair. It was a memory he was never too fond of then again the two whole years that had gone by weren't one of Ken's greatest memories.

            "Well, there was a reason behind all that…" his words were spoken softly.  " Aya was dieing."

            "What?!" The three men's voices cried out in unison.

            "There was nothing the so called doctors could do about it. Her body was giving up even though it was comatose, so it simply started to shut down."

            "I was a wreck when I heard the news. I know I should have told all of you but I didn't want to burden all of you with it. Maybe then if I had told you guys what was going on… we wouldn't be at this cross roads today, but that's already in the past. Anyway, a week or so after I found out the dreadful news, two men came up to me."

            "They told me how they had heard from the doctors what was going on with my sister and brought me offers of help, to keep her from dieing." He held up a hand to forestall any comments from his friends. "Don't get me wrong, I wasn't born yesterday and I know for a fact that no one just walks up to you to give you something without expecting something in return, that and the fact that I didn't trust them very much. The looks were completely off with them. They reminded me of some of our… nightly clientele."

            The three men instantly understood Ran's meaning. They were like the dark beasts that they hunted in the night, oily and sneaky.

            "Anyway, I politely… as politely as I could, turned their offer down and I guess they didn't like it because they had attacked me. Before I could do anything in retaliation to the unprovoked attack these two," He pointed at Ledoris and Finis. "Came to my rescue, the two attackers sadly to say didn't last very long against them."

            "As soon as they were finished they did the oddest thing. They bowed to me and called me your highness. I don't know why they did what they did and was on the verge of leave them when they started to tell me something. It seemed as if they had been looking for me since I was a young child and had just only recently found me, tailing me so to speak, because I was their lost prince. I thought they were crazy. However, they ended up convincing me that they were telling me the truth."

            "Oh so you'd trust those two but not the other men?" Ken interrupted him.

            "I know strange isn't it, but any how, lets just say that I saw things that I at first wasn't prepared to see."

            "Like what Ran?" Omi asked.

            "Magic."

            Yohji started laughing at that.

            "… It's true though… they well… made my ears grow back and I doubt they would have since they tried it out on someone else just to convince me that it was real. Besides, they knew about my birthmark."

            "Oh you mean the one on your …" Ken started to speak.

            Ran blushed. "Yes, Ken, that one. Anyway, that's not what were here to talking about." He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly in an effort to compose himself. " Like I had said I believed them at that point, I really didn't have any other choice. After I had done that, they offered to guide me back home to my father and mother. It was what they were ordered to do after all. I refused them, I couldn't just abandon Aya, if she was dieing or not."

            "So what did you do then? Have them magically conjure up Aya so they could heal her?" Yohji sarcastically asked.

            "Did anyone ever tell you that you're an idiot Yohji? No, they didn't do that. They did offer their own assistance since they had other and better means to cure a person than what our modern technology had. I agreed with it, but on one condition, they came here instead of us going there. If they could do that I told them I would consider going back with them."

            "And then it happened," Ken said a sneer forming on his lips. "… So far this isn't a good enough excuse and unbelievable as it is. Why don't you try something else… say something a little less fantasy and more reality."

            "I for one happen to agree with Kenken on that. I mean come on Ran, pointed ears, elves, and princes. This isn't a fairytale. I'm surprised there's no evil dragon flying about the land, torching it to the ground with its fiery breath bent on destroying the countryside or someone plotting to overthrow the kingdom. By the way is the kingdom you're from called fairy land?" Yohji said.

            When the playboy had said that Ran and the other two elves began to squirm in their seats, all were thinking about how near to the mark Yohji had known what was going on.

            Finally, Ledoris jumped up, his face full of anger as he spoke to his lord, "I told you we shouldn't have come here! Humans are worthless beings that should have never even evolved. They should have stayed as the primates they originally were." He had all but growled that last sentence then turned his attention to the now chain smoking man. "And for your information, human, dragons are not evil nor are they just what you would call a myth. They're real and by far wiser then any of you will ever be."

            "Ledoris, please, calm down. Kudoh has always been a bit skeptical about things it's his nature. Either that or, it has to do with all the women he's been with. I heard they say that constant sex with multiple partners tends to rot the mind, or in his case, what little mind he had to begin with."

            "Oh my God! The ice princess cracked a joke!" Yohji remarked. "I think hell has just frozen over."

            "Whatever, Kudoh. Anyway, Yohji was right at one part."

            "Which part was that, Ran-kun?" Omi asked, his bright blue eyes widening in feigned innocence. "The part where he said hell had frozen over."

            A dullness glazed Ran's eyes as he looked at the young man. "No, the part about someone trying to conquer my father's kingdom."

            Yohji groaned aloud. "Great, just great, one of the most widely used clichés in fantasy has just dropped it's self right down on laps." His gaze homed in on Ran. "Let me guess… you want us to come help you out right?"

            "Never knew Yohji could read… much less fantasy books," Omi murmured half to himself. "I thought he only read Play Boy."

            "Who reads Playboy, Omi? People only get it for the nude women." Ken commented, having over heard his friend.

            Yohji glared at the two.

            Ran shook his head. He had a feeling in the beginning that this was going to take all day to explain and it was going in that direction. "I had another reason as well. I wanted to come get Ken."

            Yohji snickered. "And there goes cliché number two 'returning to a loved one'. Who here wants to bet that he wants to get away from his father because he's planning an arranged marriage?"

            "Yohji…" Ran growled out before anyone could take him up on the bet. "Would you just shut the hell up?"

            "AHAHAHAHA! I'm right!"

            "I don't want to know…" Ken said.

            "I swear Ken, he's only trying to do it for the political side of things, not because I want to do it."

            "Man, screw the politics. If she's good looking, over eighteen and great in bed, I say go for it in full force." Yohji busted out saying.

            "You would." Omi said dryly.

            "Yohji! Are those things the only things you can EVER think about?" Ken admonished him. "Seriously you're worse than a cat in heat!"

            "I would say he is one." Omi pointed out.

            "You two wound me."

            "Anyway, I'm not going to marry her. I'm gay, not straight and my father's going to have to accept that fact." Ran said firmly.

            "Just keep saying that Ran. However, you just want to scream out, 'Go gay pride' when you hear someone like Ran say that sort of thing." Yohji made a dramatic show of wiping a nonexistent tear from his right eye. "It's just so beautiful."

            "Hn…"

            Omi stood up and stretched. They had been there for hours listening to Ran's story and he was beginning to feel the pangs of hunger. "I'm getting hungry. Why don't we all take a break and eat something?"

            His suggestion was met all around with sounds of approval.

            An hour later passed and the six men sat around in the mission room again, enjoying a cup of tea. Their faces were lit up in smiles. It had been a long time since at least three of them had a decently cooked meal. They were terrible cooks and when Ran had offered to be the chief for them, they were relieved.

            A few moments of comfortable silence passed by before anyone spoke up.

            "Ran-kun, you said you wanted and needed our help. What exactly is going on? How do you want us to help?" Omi asked and set down his just finished teacup.

            "Oh, oh! Let me guess!" Yohji exclaimed. "You have an evil uncle who wants to take the throne from you, am I right?"

            "Not one bit, Yohji." Ran smirked. "Maybe you should read more fantasy. You might find the cliché in there." He glanced over at the other two. "Well, we don't know who it is yet, but when I had went to the palace my father was hearty and in good health, but quickly caught an unknown disease that wasn't curable. I did some investigation on my own and found out that he had been poisoned with something rare and exotic. No one has been able to tell me what it was, but it kind of points to someone trying to take over the throne."

            All three men blinked.

            "How do you figure that?" Kudoh asked.

            "They tried to do it to me a few months later."

            "Well that all makes sense now." Yohji said.

            "Yeah, especially when most of them don't know that I prepare my own food. The person who made it didn't like that fact since I forced him to eat it himself and he flat out died. What I would like you to do is I would like you to help me figure it out, you, Yohji a great asset because of your investigator skills as well as the rest of you. Although Omi, I'm sorry to say we have no computers there. I would do all of this myself, but…" he spread his hands out in a gesture of hopelessness. "My moves are more restrictive then what yours would be."

            "As well as it should be," Ledoris said speaking up for the first time that whole night. "You're too important to go gallivanting about to who knows where to do who knows what."

            "Hn, I don't need guards."

            They left it off at that because they all knew it was a fruitless argument to have.

            Ken waited a few moments before speaking up, "So the whole deal is you want us to go to the places you can't." He tapped his lip thoughtfully.

            "That's right."

            "I don't know about the others but I need to think about it."

            Ran nodded and looked at the other two, who both agreed with Ken. This wasn't a normal mission to them and they knew they didn't have to do it.

            Ken stood up and stretched, before giving a quick glance at the digital clock on the VCR. "I'm going to bed now since it's late." He began to walk towards the stairs.

            "Ken wait!" Ran called out to him. "Could I go with you… to talk?"

            Ken merely nodded and left the room with Ran following him.

            "Well," Yohji said after the two had left. He got up. "I have a date tonight so why don't you show these two fine… elves… where they'll be sleeping tonight chibi."

            "Yohji! Don't call me that."

            Yohji's laughter trailed him as he left the room.

            Omi glared at the man then smiled at the elves, "I'll show you two to Ran-kun's old room. I get the feeling that you two don't want to leave him alone here too much."

            They nodded.

            "Hmmm, just as I thought. Don't worry though he's in one of the few safest places there is."

            Later that night when all were thought to be asleep, one wasn't.

            A shadowy figure tiptoed quietly out of Ran's room and into the darkened hallway. Every few moments he would stop and listen to everything surrounding him. All was quiet and it wouldn't do him any good to make some unwanted noise and be caught this early in the game. He had a feeling anyway that there was more to these three men that they had visited than was shown, so he had to let his master know quickly what was going on.

            He made his way up to the roof as silently as he could.

            A soft whistle fell from his lips calling out to one of the messenger birds he knew was around.

            He held his arm aloft and as soon as it landed, he tied a piece of parchment to its leg. "That's it," he said softly. "Go find our master little one and be quick." He let it go and watched it fly off into the night.

Author's Notes: Well here's chapter 2 done I hope you guys enjoy it. Review if it pleases you.

Schu: what that's it?

Yes… that's it Schu go back to bed you're not needed right now…

Schu: hmph…


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